The most probable cause of fatalities resulting from fire in a building particularly is due to affixiation from the inhaling of the toxic smoke of the fire. Most buildings currently being constructed have sprinkler systems on all floors which of course are activated by the heat of the fire. However, many fires originate on the lower floors, and the upper floors and stairwells become filled with smoke from the fires burning below. In all modern buildings, be they office type or hotel type, occupants are instructed not to use elevators in the event of a fire because most elevators are controlled by heat sensitive switches. Occupants are directed to use stairwells which can easily become smoke filled chimneys for the fires on the lower floors. Fire safety instructions direct occupants of a building that if the fire is on the occupants' floor, all doors to the hallways should be shut and the spaces under the doors stuffed with preferably wet cloths, and if there are ventilators over the doors, they should be somehow covered with any material that is available. The occupants are to get on the floor if possible and await rescue through the windows of the building. On the other hand if the fire is not on the occupants' floor, the occupants are directed to go to the nearest stairwell and to descend from the building through that stairwell.
In either instance described above, there has been no known provision made to date to provide occupants of particularly high-rise buildings with any sort of respiratory device which would be of assistance to them while awaiting rescue from their room or in attempting to walk down a stairwell. There is a concept of holding a cloth over ones nose and mouth while descending a stairwell but this does not provide a source of air which is free from toxic smoke nor does it protect it the eyes from contact with the toxic smoke. Large size respiratory devices such as are worn by fire fighters and scuba divers are obviously impractical and unnecessary inasmuch as they have too much weight, too expensive and are cumbersome to wear. What is needed are small emergency respiratory devices which can provide a supply of smoke free air for a limited period of time, perhaps 15 minutes to 30 minutes or perhaps less. There are small respiratory devices available such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,238,940; 3,316,907; 3,565,068 and 4,078,561. From these prior art devices only the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,565,068 provides protection for the whole face by means of the plastic hood. However, it relies on a closed circuit rebreathing system which makes the device uncomfortable for the wearer, increases the cost of such a device to the point where it might become prohibitive as a disposable device on a large scale. The other three prior art patents similarly provide for a cover for the nose and mouth and a supply of oxygen from a container attached to the nose and mouth mask.